We’ve all heard of Pirelli’s Diablo motorcycle tyres but who are these tyres aimed at and what’s the difference between them all? In this guide we’ll help you understand Pirelli’s Diablo range, review each tyre and help you pick the best one for your riding style.
Pirelli Diablo History
Pirelli introduced the Diablo name back in 2002 as a track-focused tyre. Diablo is Italian for Devil and this signifies Pirelli’s vision that these are a performance range of tyres. The Diablo was an instant success and over the years Pirelli have added to their range to cater for all types of performance rider. The Diablo was followed by the Diablo Corsa a year later – the Corsa was a tyre that was designed for Fast Road riders, Trackday enthusiasts and Club Racers alike.
In 2004, Pirelli became the sole tyre supplier to World Superbikes introducing the Diablo SBK range of slicks that, at the time, came in 16″ and 17″ sizes. They were Pirelli’s first three-compound tyre, designed to give racers improved edge grip while also extending their ability to deal with increasing horsepower and abrasive track surfaces.
Skip forward a few years to 2009 and Pirelli launched the Pirelli Diablo Rosso, arguably the first tyre that benefitted from Pirelli’s WBSK development. The Rosso Corsa took over from the Corsa III, with the Rosso denomination specifying the fact its a more road-focused performance tyre.
Pirelli have designed their road-legal range for fast road riding, all the way up to trackdays. They still produce an amazing range of non-road legal of slicks and wets, which are used in World Superbikes and British Superbikes; the highest levels of production motorcycle racing.
A Basic Guide
There are so many names flying around in the world of motorbike tyres it’s hard to keep up.
While manufacturers probably think everyone’s up to speed with their latest tyre names, unless you’re a proper tyre geek (or you run a motorcycle tyre shop), you’re excused if you’re confused. So here’s a basic yardstick to help you zone in on the right range for you:
Sticky, temperature-sensitive tyre that’s designed with one thing in mind: grip. Primarily used by people who don’t pay for them. Only really worth the spend if you’re within a few seconds of a national-class qualifying time. Unless you want a 3rd gear 80mph highside on the second lap out, you must use warmers to get the carcass up to temperature.
While they’re road legal these are best for racing and faster trackday pace. SC version has a choice of compounds. While the SP version is supplied as standard on some superbikes, we don’t rate it as the best choice for fast road riders as they’re designed to be used hard and kept at optimum temperature. Far better performance and tyre life (with less chance of cold tear) on track if you use tyre warmers.
A good choice for the fast road rider slash trackday fan. If you’re Inters group pace you’ll have no issues with the Rosso Corsa and while you don’t have to use tyre warmers, they’ll be all the better for it. For fast road riding, they’re ideal for summer weekend blasts plus the grip won’t drop off a cliff while you’re bimbling through the 30mph zones.
Trackday capable but far from the best choice for that type of activity. A good real-world fast road tyre that warms up quickly and won’t lose its surface temperature the moment you drop off the pace or when the heavens open.
These days the standard Diablo is a budget performance tyre, using fairly old technology. We don’t recommend this for a trackday and if you’re a fast road rider, you might find them a touch limiting. If you ride a performance naked, do a bit of commuting and the odd weekend blast these are a decent choice.
So now you know the basic qualities of each Diablo segment, from race-track-only to road, here’s an in-depth run-down of each tyre in Pirelli’s Diablo motorbike tyre range.
Pirelli Non-Road Legal Track Tyres
Diablo Superbike Slick
These are Pirelli’s top-line racing tyres. The Superbike Slick is used in WSBK, BSB and also World and British Supersport classes. They come in five different compounds, SCX which is a proper qualifying extra soft tyre for superpole (only available in a rear) and an SC0, SC1, SC2 and SC3, with SC0 being the softest and SC3 being the hardest.
The new rear came out this year in a size 200/65/17 and prior to that it was a 60 profile. The 65 was developed to increase the height of the tyre and give it a sharper profile to make the bike turn in quicker. There was also a new front size of 125/70/17 which is a wider tyre than the standard tyre for a larger contact patch.
They also make these tyres in Moto3 sizes even though Pirelli aren’t the tyre supplier to MotoGP but they do supply domestic championships.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone VO2, Metzeler Racetec RR Slick, Dunlop KR106 & KR108
Diablo Wet (Intermediate)
This is the only available Intermediate motorcycle tyre. Most racing classes have dropped the use of an inter and because of that manufacturers have stopped producing them. Well, all except Pirelli. The Diablo Wet is only available in two sizes, a 120 front and a 190/60 rear. Obviously it’s not road legal and it’s hard to think when you might choose this over a full-on wet but if you live 5 miles away from Spa or Donington Park you’ll be used to the weather changing all the time and this might be the perfect track tyre for you.
Diablo Rain (Wet)
The Wet is available in a wide range of sizes. It’s a seriously soft tyre that, despite the tread pattern, is not road legal. There are a couple of different compound variations in the 200/60 size but for everyone else it’s just the one compound, an SCR1, which is super soft. The Rear is also available in an SCR2, which is more of a Medium compound tyre. If you’re running these in tyre warmers be careful not to overheat them. We suggest 10-15 minutes in warmers is all you need for these wets.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone W01, Continental Conti Race Attack Rain, Michelin Power Rain
Pirelli Road Legal Racing Tyres
Diablo Supercorsa SCÂ
The Supercorsa SC is a cracking race-focused tyre, that happens to be road legal. The SC has been designed by Pirelli to be run in the top stock racing classes (World Superstock. British Superstock 1000, Ducati Tri Options Cup, etc) as these classes are meant to showcase what a bike that’s close to showroom-spec can do, so the tyres have to be road legal.
They’re now on the V3 version but the V2 was just as good. Before that it was the ‘Supercorsa Pro’. Racers and trackday addicts love them as they come in multiple compounds and offer almost as much grip as a slick but with more feel due to the tread pattern. They’re not as fickle when it comes to temperature either, which makes them a decent trackday option for semi-pro’s to complete amateurs.
They’re road legal so you can run them on the road but we don’t recommend it. They’re designed to be kept on the boil and unlike on the road, you don’t get 30mph limits or caravans doing 40 in a 60 at your local race circuit.
Check out the Pirelli Supercorsa SC range in our shop.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone R11, Dunlop D213GP, Continental Race Attack 2
Pirelli Road Legal Trackday Tyres
Diablo Supercorsa SP V4
The Supercorsa SP is the OEM tyre on a lot of high-end performance bikes. Take the new CBR1000RR-SP Fireblade for example or bikes like the Ducati V4, BMW HP4, Triumph Daytona 675R – the list goes on..
In all honesty the SP probably isn’t the best tyre on these bikes for the majority of the riding that their owners do. If you don’t go anywhere near a trackday, you don’t need the SP. The manufacturers like to fit them because it screams ‘racing pedigree’ but the A272 isn’t Mugello. If it’s sunny out then fair enough but you probably wouldn’t be praising them if you had to ride 50 miles home from Loomies on a cold October day in the p*ssing rain.
For trackdays they’re a great tyre and more than capable of fast group pace on your superbike or sports 600. While they can be used without warmers, you’ll get more from the tyres and better wear rate and ultimately tyre life if you use tyre warmers on trackdays.
If you’re replacing the tyres on your new Blade, the ‘E’ fitment 200/55 ZR17 is the tyre that comes on the new 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone RS11, Michelin Power GP, Metzeler Racetec RR K3
Pirelli Fast Road Riding Tyres
Pirelli’s Diablo tyres with the Rosso label are the more road-focused range.
Diablo Rosso IV Corsa
The Rosso IV Corsa is an awesome tyre, for many reasons. The main one is that it’s ideally suited to fast road and track riders, due to the fact it is a Rosso IV in the central section but the shoulders use the same compound as the Pirelli SC3 Slick, meaning these are a great shout for trackdays.
What we love about them is that they are more versatile than a Supercorsa SP due to this dual compound. The SP is arguably positioned as the more track-focused tyre but it doesn’t offer any more than the Rosso 4 Corsa. If you look at the shoulders of this tyre they are slick but you have the advantage of a Rosso IV central section, for better mileage.
We have a set of these fitted to our Monster 1200R and were spinning some decent lap times at Donington.
If you’re the sort that likes to ride your road bike to a trackday and bang out a few fast laps then the Rosso 4 Corsa is a great choice. Pirelli claim that you don’t need to run tyre warmers with these tyres but if you can get your bike up on paddock stands and the tyres in warmers it’ll just mean you can focus on your riding and not on getting the tyres up to temperature.
Diablo Rosso IV
The Rosso 4 is a fast road tyre, that’s ideal for performance riding on road and track. It looks almost identical to the Rosso 4 Corsa
We have run these on our bikes (from an Aprilia RS660 to a ZX-10R and GSX-R1000) and rate them as an excellent tyre that warms up quickly and offers a precise feel and incredible grip. They are more than capable of fast-group pace on track (we’ve done Donington on our ZX-10R with no issues) and they don’t need – but would benefit from – tyre warmers on a trackday.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone S22, Metzeler M9RR, Michelin Power 5
Diablo Rosso III
The Rosso 3 is a dual-compound sports tyre. It takes over from the Rosso 2 and is a versatile performance road tyre that’s available in ZR rating and HR rating, so you can run them on the smaller sports bikes (Ninja 300 etc) and the sportier 125s like the YZF-R125. At the other end of the scale, they’re also made in a massive 240/45 ZR17 for the Ducati Diavel. You’ll get reasonable mileage out of this Rosso 3 if you’re a commuter and it’ll give you the grip you need for a razz on the back roads.
Released in 2017, it’s been around a while and has a loyal following because it’s a decent sticky tyre for typical UK conditions. Rumour has it that there’s a Diablo Rosso 4 coming out next year.
They’re good enough for trackdays if you’re not planning on smoking everyone and everything in sight. If you think you’ll be doing a couple of trackdays it’d be worth looking at something a touch stickier.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Bridgestone S21, Michelin Power 3
Diablo Rosso II
The Rosso II is a bit of a jack of all trades. It’s not the grippiest, nor the best handling or the best for mileage but is is a decent all-rounder. That’s what has made it such a popular tyre over the years and it’s probably why it’s still in production today.
It is available in a huge range of sizes including H-rated, which is a popular choice for mid-size supermoto bikes, like the DRZ400. In sizes for the Yamaha R125, these are one of the few HR-rated (Radial) fitments, so a good sporty choice for 125cc riders.
At the other end of the scale, they’re also made in a massive 240/45 ZR17 for the Ducati Diavel, which came with these as standard. The D fitment models are front-specific for Ducatis and a K-fitment for everything else that’s not a Ducati.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Michelin Pilot Power 2CT, Continental Sport Attack 2, Bridgestone S21
Diablo
The Diablo is where it all started for Pirelli and the Diablo range. It’s now regarded as their entry-level sports tyre. While they are still in production, there aren’t all that many sizes being manufactured. They do however still make them in the 130/70 ZR16 for the early Fireblades and Hornet 600s. A good choice for those who want a sporty tyre on a budget.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Michelin Pilot Power, Avon 3D Ultra Evo, Anlas Viento Sport
Pirelli Diablo Scooter / Minibike Tyres
Diablo Rosso Scooter SC
The Diablo Rosso Scooter SC is a racing pit bike tyre available in the 120/80 12 size and the 100/90 12. New for 2020 they are already highly rated against the likes of Mitas and PMT tyres.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Mitas MC 35 S-Racer 2.0, Mitas MC 34, PMT Blackfire
Diablo Rosso Scooter and Rosso Scooter Radial
If you need a tyre for your Yamaha T-Max 530 that is capable of you dragging a knee (or at least trying too) on your way to work the Pirelli Rosso Scooter radial should be high or your list to choose. The standard Rosso Scooter is also a more ‘sporty’ scooter tyre choice.
Comparable tyres from other manufacturers: Michelin Power 3 SC, Bridgestone SC2 Radial, Anlas Tournee Radial
